Futures For Families – A Grandmother’s Dream
Keeping A Dream Alive
Takmao town lies on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. There, a 68-year-old grandmother has become the steady center of a family shaped by hardship. With her daughters unable to care for them, she is now raising four grandchildren on her own. Each child carries their own story—some marked by loss, others by abandonment—but all connected by their grandmother’s unwavering love.
Her 15-year-old grandson, the child of her second daughter who is serving a 25-year prison sentence, is only in Grade 5. He is four years behind in school, not because he lacks ability, but because his grandmother, the family’s only breadwinner, simply could not afford regular schooling. His father passed away years ago, leaving the grandmother to shoulder every responsibility.
Her other daughter left behind two more children: a 13-year-old boy with a heart condition and an 11-year-old girl who attends school regularly. The children’s mother has started a new life outside Phnom Penh and remains distant, leaving the grandmother to navigate the children’s health challenges and education alone.
The fourth child—a 10-year-old girl in Grade 4—was abandoned by her mother who left to be with a new partner. Like the others, she found safety in her grandmother’s care and has been able to attend school consistently.
Despite her age, her worries, and the weight of responsibility she carries, this grandmother has never given up on her family’s future.
Building Futures for Families: Support That Strengthens a Household
Our Phnom Penh program, Mith Samlanh, stepped in to ensure the family were not facing challenges alone. Together with the grandmother, they shaped a path forward, which included:
- Small business support: In 2022, she received help to start a sugarcane stall—her primary income source, giving her a dignified way to provide for the children.
- Housing support: Rental assistance allowed the family to stay in safe, stable shelter.
- Healthcare transportation: Support for travel to hospitals ensured timely care for her grandson with a heart problem.
- Education support: Assistance with school registration and support classes helped keep all four children learning and engaged.
With this combined support, the grandmother can focus on what matters most:
keeping the children safe, healthy, and in school—giving them the futures they deserve.
This is what Futures for Families looks like.
A grandmother who refuses to let hardship break her family.
Four children who, despite difficult beginnings, now have access to learning, care, and stability.
A home where love is strong enough to rewrite tomorrow.
Together, these efforts are helping this family rebuild, rise, and move toward better tomorrows—one school day, one meal, one moment of care at a time.
